Woodpeckers

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Feuerkopf-Saftlecker

Sphyrapicus ruber

Woodpeckers6 photosFirst seen: 12 August 2026

The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the Pacific coast. It drills orderly rows of shallow holes and returns to feed on the sap and insects attracted to them. The red head and breast, white wing patch and pale barred back are the main field marks. Juveniles are browner and develop the red plumage gradually. Other birds sometimes use the sap wells after the sapsucker leaves.

ID tip: A medium-sized woodpecker with an extensively red head and breast, a white wing patch and a pale barred back. Juveniles are browner and less evenly red.

First seen: 12 August 2026 · San Juan Islands · 6 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

San Juan Islands12 August 2026

Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Length: 20–23 cm
Wingspan: 37–40 cm
Regional status: Year-round resident (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Moist conifer and mixed forests, wooded parks and forest edges
Diet: Tree sap, insects, fruit and cambium

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Places in my records

Selected photographs